Hoist clamp



A. J. PLANTE Feb. 8, 1949.

HOI ST CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 3, 1946 lllll lll l l| l|\ llll Inventor Alfred el planie i 8, 1949- A. J. PLANTE 2,461,394

HOIST CLAMP Filed Jan. 5, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E1 E.- E

v II"""mmmmm" v 7 E1 By g 6 llllllllm 'II w llmm a Aime" v Inventor Alfred .Plazzie Patented Feb. 8, 1949 were!) STATES PATENT oFrice Alfred J. Plante, Augusta, Maine, assign'orofone half to Davila, Cloutier, Augusta; Maine.

Application January a, 1945, .S eria1No..63'8,821

This invention relates to improvements in hoist clampsfand more particularly to an automatically engaging and locking clamp for lifting steel plates and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide anim provedhoist clamp with means for graspingan object to be lifted and means for automatically locking the clamping jaws in their locked posi tion.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved hoist or plate lifting clamp which will have interconnected spring projected jaws for positively engaging a plate or other object to be lifted.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved hoist or plate lifting clamp which will be highly efficient in use and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application,

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved hoist clamp in position upon a steel plate;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the improved hoist clamp;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of one section of the hoist clamp body;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is an edge view of the lower portion of the hoist clamp body showing the clamp releasing opening;

Figure 7 is a side view of the clamp releasing bar;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the clamp releasing bar.and

Figure 9 is a modified showing of a replaceable rack on the backbone of the sliding jaw supporting members.

Lke characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a two-piece hoist clamp body comprising parts I and 2, in which are formed the recesses 3 and 4 for the intermeshing gears 5 and 6, which are mounted for rotation on the stub shafts l and 8 carried by body part 2. Openings 9 and ID will be formed in body part i to receive the stub shafts l and 8 which will extend flush with the surface of the part I when 3 Claims. (01. .294"'-86) 2. the two sectionsv or body parts are placed together and secured together by the bolts on screws ll An opening l! is formed through the-hoist clamp body and is adapted to receive a hooker cable 53' at theend of "a hoist line.

Converging guide ways [4 and I5 are formed in the clamp body and extend from the upper V and outer sides of the body to the opposite inner walls .16 and H of the slot I formed in the lower surface of the clamp body.

Slidably received in the guide ways l4 and it are the rack carrying jaw supporting members 40 and 4!, which extend through the lower ends of the guideways l4 and I5 and support the depending rods 24 and 25 are secured to the,

top of the clamp body to seal the upper ends'of the guideways l4 and I5. Screws or bolts 26 extend through the cap members 22 and 23 and into the clamp body.

Coil springs 2'! and 28 are positioned about the depending rods 24 and 25 and-extend into the spring receiving recesses 29 and 30 in the upper ends of the jaw supporting members 4B and 4| to urge or force the members downwardly until the jaws l8 and I9 contact each other.

A rack 3| is formed on the outer surface of the jaw supporting member 4|, or a replaceable rack 32 may be screwed to the member 4| if desired when the rack .31 is not cut in the said member. A clamp releasing slot 33 is formed in the body and extends from the edge of the body to the rack 31, so that a pointed clamp releasing bar 34 may be inserted through the slot 33, and by moving it up and down, the jaw supporting member 4| will be raised to release the object being lifted. The gears 5 and 6 are adapted to engage the racks 2B and 2| on the law supporting members 40 and M respectively, so that movement of one jaw will impart movement to the other jaw.

As before mentioned, the coil springs 21 and 28 will exert a pressure on the jaw supporting members, so that once a plate or object is engaged 7 between the jaws, it will be firmly held until released by the releasing bar 34.

While the preferred form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the inven- 3 tion to this disclosure, as many minor changes in detail of construction may belresorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Havinglthus described the invention what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A hoist clamp including a body being slotted at its lower edge, converging law supporting members extending through the body into the slot, detachable jaws on said members, resilient means for projecting said members and jaws, racks formed on said members, and gears interposed between said racks.

2. A hoist clamp including a body having an inwardly directed slot in its lower edge, said body being formed with converging oppositely disposed inwardly" and downwardly directed slots extending completely through it and terminating at the sides of said first-mentioned slot, jaw-supporting members slidably received in said converging slots, detachable jaws on said members, racks formed on said members, and interconnected gears engageable with said racks for simultaneously operating said jaw-supporting members.

3. A hoist clamp including. a body having an inwardly directed slot in its lower edge, said body REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,229,434 Bailie Jan. 21, 1941 2,337,178 Breslav Dec. 21, 1943 2,384,636 Nelson Sept. 11, 1945 2,387,408 Pertuit Oct. 23, 1945 

